Hairpin



March 30, 1937.

e. A. GIBSON HAIRPIN Filed May 7, 1934 2] wucm tom 67A. G/aao/v Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIBPIN Clark Arthur Gibson, Shelbyvllle, 111., assignor to Sta-Rite Hair Pin Company, Inc., Shelbyvllle, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 7, 1934, Serial No. 724.436

Claims.

tory for use since it was necessary to provide a substantial gripping action on the hair which could not be obtained with a hair pin of such type. Accordingly a special type of hair pin was developed formed of flat stock with the prongs of the pin normally contacting with each other throughout the greater portion of their length or at spaced points in the case of pins corrugated for this purpose. Greatly increased gripping action was obtained with this type of pin because of the greater mass of the metal employed and because of the greatly increased gripping surfaces.

In the use of so-called bob pins of the type disclosed, it is the common practice to spread the prongs of the pin and insert it in position over a flat strand of hair with the outer surface of one prong of the pin wholly uncovered. Such use of this type of pin has been found objectionable because of the high degree of visibility of each pin, due to the reflection of light from the visible surface of the pin. This objection has been long known, and so far as I am aware, the objection has never been overcome so as to increase the desirability for the use of this type of pin.

I have discovered that the visibility of bob pins 5 may be so substantially reduced as to render them almost unnoticeable, and it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a hair pin of the type particularly adapted for use with bobbed hair wherein the practicability of the pin is substantially increased by substantially decreasing the degree of visibility of the pin.

A further object is to provide a hair pin of the character referred to wherein reduced visibility is accomplished by providing the pin-with a light diffusing surface thus eliminating high lights on the visible surface of the pin.

A further object is to provide a pin of the type referred to wherein the continuity of the surface of the pin is substantially completely broken up to diffuse the light reflected from the surface of the pin and thus reduce its degree of visibility.

A further object is to provide a bob pin formed of blank stock wherein the surfaces are treated mechanically under pressure by means of suitable dies or rolls to break up the continuity of the surface, or wherein a surface coating composition is applied to'the pin for the same purpose.

A further object is to provide a bob pin having both its inner and outer surfaces treated in the manner referred to to provide the simultaneous results of reducing the visibility of the pin and increasing the gripping action of the pin against the hair to assist in maintaining the pin in position.

In the drawing I have shown several embodiments of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is an enlarged detail view of one type of pin wherein a surface coating composition is applied to the material from which the'pin is made,

Figure 2 is a detail section on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a pin having its surfaces mechanically treated to break up the continuity thereof,

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional perspective view of a piece of hair pin stock rolled or similarly treated to provide closely arranged surface grooves, and,

Figure 6 is a similar view wherein the material is grooved in two directions to increase the diffusion of reflected light.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a bob pin formed of flat material and looped intermediate its ends as at II to form prongs I2 and I3. The prong I3 is preferably slightly shorter than the prong l2 and has its extremity curved outwardly as at I4 to facilitate the placing of the pin in position.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the entire surface of the pin is covered with a suitable surface coating c'omposition as indicated by the numeral l5. There are several suitable well known compositions avail--' able on the market for this purpose, and the type preferablyemployed is the type wherein the coating composition is baked on' the pin. At any rate, the coating composition must be of the type which results in a high degree of light diffusion and is preferably of the type wherein the drying of the composition results in a substantially rough or irregular surface. The particular surface composition employed forms no part of the present invention, as will be apparent.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be identical in shape with that shown in Figure 1. Such pin is designated as a whole by the numeral l5 and is bent intermediate its ends as at iii to provide prongs l1 and I8 similar to the prongs l2 and iii. In this form of the invention, the flat wire stock employed in the making of the pins is subjected to the action of dies or rollers having irregular surfaces whereby the resultant fiat surfaces of the pin are irregular as indicated by the numeral IS in Figure 4. It will be apparent that the surfaces of the pins shown inFigures l and 3 are preferably not rough in the sense that they provide microscopically sharp projections which would render it somewhat difficult to apply the pins in position. On the contrary, it is preferred that the surfaces of the pin under a microscope should be substantially smooth but irregular. In such way, the surface continuity is substantially broken up. thus providing a high degree of diffusion to substantially eliminate the concentrated reflection of light.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5 a piece of fiat wire stock I9 is subjected to the action of dies or rolls to groove the surfaces of the stock as at 20, and the grooves may extend angularly with respect to the length of the stock. The grooves will be relatively closely arranged, thus eliminating the presence of any flat polished areas from which light may be reflected.

The form of the invention shown in Figure 6 is generally similar to that shown in Figure 5 except that a higher degree of light diffusion is obtained. The fiat stock 2|, in Figure 6, has its surface angularly rolled as at 22 to provide closely arranged intersecting grooves or corrugations, thus more completely breaking up the continuity of the surface of the pin than is true of the form of the invention shown in Figure 5. In the latter form, light refiectionis possible along lines corresponding to and paralleling the direction of the grooving of the material. whereas in Figure 6, the grooving of the material reduces light reflection to substantially negligible points.

The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. The desired results are preferably obtained by the use of the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 because of the attractive appearance of the coated pins. As previously stated, the coating composition empleyed is preferably of the type which provides surface irregularity and thus reflected light is so greatly diffused as to very greatly reduce the visibility of the pin when in use. The surface coating compositions employed may be of different colors to blend with the colors of the hair of prospective users of the pin.

As previously stated the form of the invention shown in Figure l is preferable because of the attractiveness of the resultant pin, and it is also desirable for the reason that it is unnecessary to employ specially formed dies or rollers. However, the form of the invention shown in Figure 3 is as advantageous from the standpoint of actual use as the form previously described. The surfaces of the pin shown in Figure 3 are substantially completely broken up so as to secure an even and complete diffusion of light to reduce any concentrated reflection from the visible surfaces of the pin, thus increasing the practicability'of the pin.

The form of the invention shown in Figure 5 is advantageous over bob pins of the type now commonly used, but is not as highly advantageous as the forms shown in Figures 1 and 3. It has the advantage over the type shown in Figure 3 in that a somewhat cheaper form of surfacing means may be employed, but the diffusion of light is not as complete due to the presence of the smooth parallel grooves. The small size and close arrangement of the grooves, however, provides a material improvement over the pins of the present type. The form of the invention shown in Figure 6 is advantageous over the form shown in Figure 5 for the reason that it reduces reflected light to substantially negligible points, although it does not provide as great a degree of light diffusion as is true of the forms of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As previously stated, the principal object of the invention is to increase the desirability and practicability of bob pins by reducing their visibility in use, and this is accomplished with each of the forms of the invention illustrated, and particularly the forms illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. Moreover, each of the forms of the invention provides the additional highly advantageous feature of more efficiently gripping the hair when the device is in use, thus preventing the displacement of the pins. As is well known, one of the greatest disadvantages of the present type of bob pins lies in the fact that they are relatively easily displaced and lost. Accordingly thevpresent device provides two distinct advantages in that the pins are substantially invisible in use. particularly when the color of the pins matches the hair of the user, and moreover, the pins are not readily displaced and lost.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same. and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A hair pin formed relatively flat in crosssection and having the surface continuity of its outer faces interrupted substantially throughout the areas thereof to diffuse light from substantially all portions of such areas.

2. A hair pin formed relatively flat in crosssection and bent intermediate its ends to form a pair of prongs, the surface continuity of the outer faces of such prongs being interrupted substantially throughout the areas thereof to diffuse light from substantially all portions of such areas.

3. A hair pin formed of relatively flat material bent intermediate its ends to form a pair of prongs, the outwardly facing surfaces of which are covered' with a surface coating composition having an irregular surface to difluse light therefrom.

4. A hair pin comprising a strip of relatively flat material bent intermediate its ends to form a pair of prongs, said pin being substantially completely coated with a surface coating composition having an irregular light-diffusing surface.

5. A hair pin comprising a strip of relatively flat material bent intermediate its ends transversely thereof to form a pair of prongs, said pin having at least its outwardly facing surfaces completely coated with a relatively hard surface coating composition fixedly bonded therewith and having an irregular light dilusing surface.

CLARK ARTHUR GIBSON. 

